Sewing-machine.



NH. RICHARDS.

SEWING MAcHl'jvE.

yAPPUCTION FILED IAELZ, 1901. RENEWED FEB. 18,1916.

Patented July 18, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

F. H.: RICHARDSi SEWIVNG MACHINE. y @Anon man 1AN.|24. 1.901 RNEwED FEB.' is. :91s. .n

APPLI Patented July 18; 1916.

SHEETS-sneer z.

' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

v FRANCIS H. RICHARDS', or HARTFORI), comvnc'rnfnr.

rSEWING(-MACHINE.

' speciat'ationfof Letters Patent.

' Applicationled January 24, 1901, Serial No. 44,543. Renewed February 18,1916.A Serial No.: 79,220.

To all whom lit may concern.'

Be 1t knownthat I, FRANCIS H.,R1CHARns,

- afvcitizen of the United States, residing at y `Hartford, in the county of Hartford and'v State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing- Machines,` ofwhich the following Kis a specilication.

'This invention relates to sewingmachines,

and vespecially to the parts'thereof which form the stitchesI and contlol the' fabric;

.and its principal object is to facilitate the A 'manipulation of the machine and the inserliodying one formrof my invention., Fig. 2

is atop plan ievof-the, machine. Figs. 3;

fand l are endL eievationjsflooking from the .left in Figi1, withtheouter plate of the head; removed showing the` needle and press in their operative position, Fig. 3

with the needle at the highest,'and Fig. 4. with it at the lowest point. Figs'. 5 and 5- .are similar vie'Ws,but with the needle" and presser raised from their operative position.,

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line' a-a of Fig. 4, looking from the left. Fig. 8' is a `vertical section online b-b, Figifl, looking fromfthe right'.v Fig. 9 is a horizontal section on the line' 0 0 of Fig. 4:. Fig. 1.0

is a similar view on the lined-cl. Fig. 11

is a perspective detail showing a part of the shifting or throyv oil device.' Fig. 12 is a vsimilarview of anotherpart thereof.` Fig.

V13 is a similar view ofthe needle-actuating shaft and crank-arm with its sliding block ingplace. Fig. 11 is a detail in side elevation of the needle-bar. Fig. 15 is a perspective detail of the connecting link; and Fig.

-l'iis a similar view of a vertical bar for guiding the needle-bar carrying a presserfoot. l v

Similar characters designate vliloefparfs At the termination of its down-V VIn the accompanying drawings, Figure 1^, 1s a front elevationof a sewing,-machln'efem-` ings. f v

The sewing-machine in connection with which one embodiment of my invention is shown may consist of a suitable bed-plate B, upright and arm A ,carrying head H, shut Patented July 1s, 19.16.

throughout the several figures of the"draiv- Y tle or looper S, an actuating mechanism D for the shuttle and a needle N This needle may be carried 'by any suitable means, as aneedlc-bar 10, which, in this instance, is mounted to reciprocate in the Vvertical bore 11 of the hollovvpresserbar 12, which may be rectangular in cross-section as illustrated, and'is itself movable up and down in guides provided in the head. The needle-bar is shown as of reduced diameter at its lower end at 10 and thisportion extends through a contracted guide opening 11 at the end of the bore. The head may bei of irregular box-shape closed by a removable cover-plate 1 3, the inner side vof which contacts with the outer face of the presser bar or slide 12 to V retain itin its chamber. T he bar 12 carries presser-foot 14, this being shown as attached ,to a downward' extension 15 by a binding screw 16.

1- Y,Through the arm A extends an actuating yshaft D of the, general ractuating mechamism, and yattached to vtheend of this shaft within thevheadis an actuating crank arm 17.3,V The oscillation of this crank-ar'm imparts to the needle-har and its needle a reciprocating movement to form the stitch in connection with the shuttle..y The arm andv -needle-bar in this instance areconnected by a link 16', which may be pivoted within a recess 18 in the upper end of the latter by the lpin 19. Since aterthe parts of the machine are assembled this pin travels with inlth'e slide, its ends being Ain contact with,

or. yin proximity to, the walls, of the bore or hollow .11, the cntact therewith will retain it in engagement with the connected- I parts Without other fastening.v The upper end of the link is\pivoted by a pin or stud v20 to a membervariable in position along 4the actuating arm 17. This movable member ishere shown as a block o'r slide 21, seated in a -slot 22, extending longitudinally 'of the arm. lThe linlcis'ipreferablv bifurcated,` vand en -tending"on both-sides of the lill inner wall thereof, is one member 24 of a shifting or" throwc' mechanism. This member, in this instance is in the form of a bell crank, one arm 25 whereof extends upwardly from its fulcrum and is directly connected by means of a forwardly extending link 26 to thc needle-driving link 16", at a point between the articulations of the latter to thc needle bar and to the slide 21, which is adjustablc\r along the actuating arm 17. The other arm 27 of the bell crank extends forwardly and is preferably provided with an operating slot 28. In this slot engages a wrist or crank pin 29' projecting from a disklike head 30 carried upon the inner end ofa short transverse horizontal adjustment shaft 31 journaled in a boss32 upon the machine head. Pivoted at its upper end upon the same wrist -pin 29 is a link 33, which at its lower end is loosely pivoted or connected to a lug 34 provided upon the presser bar or slide, preferably at the to thereof, the connection between said lin and lng being effected by a pin or screw 33 upon the lug which engages a slot 33in `the link. To the outer end evi-,said adjustment shaft is secured the hub 31 of e finger lever 35. Said hub is provided with op posite notches or de ressions 35*l and 35, either of which may e engaged by a spring detent 35% eo as to hold the shaft and the parts controlledthereby in either of twol ositione, in one of which the needle mec anient is e'ective and in the other'of which it is ineective. A depending vertical rod 36 is also threaded into the lug 34 of the presser bar, and passes through horizontal.

walls 37 and 380i the head. Around said rod is coiled a compression spring A39, working betweenthe under side of the wall 37 and a head 40 of thel rod, thereby to draw the p resscr foot toward the bed plate and against the fabric to be sewed.

ldhen the needle and `presser are in theiroperative position the elements are located as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The manually adjustable crank-pin 29 is then at its lowest position and the parts are retained by the engagement of the spring detent 35" with the depression 35. l or near the outer end of the slot in the ac` tuating arm 17 by `means .of the bell crank 25 and the links r26 and 16', so thatthere is .transmitted from the actuating arm 17 through the link 1G a full working stroke to the needle. c It will be seen on inspection of Figs. 3 and 4 ofthe drawing that in this instance the 'two pivotal connections of the link 26, together with'that of the link 16" with its actuator and the axis of the actuaf tor shaft D lie at approximately "the corners of a parallelogram in all positions of the needle, and therefore there will be little or no play of the slide 21in the slot Whilel the machine is at work and but slight result- The slide 21 is held atV drawn down by its spring 39v toward the4 plate or upon the fabric thereon, while being free to yield upwardly against the tension of said spring without affecting the throwvoff mechanism, byvirtue of the pinand-slot connection 33-33. y

When it is desired to stop the stitchforming and work-feedingoperations of the machine the lever 35 is swung downwardly and forwardly until the depression 35 in the sleeveis engaged by the detent. This turns the bell crank 24 away from the axis of the needle, and through the link connection 26 and 16 adjusts the block or slide 21 along the slot in the actuating arm- 17 to a point at or near the inner end of the latter and adjacent to the axis of the shaft D. This shortens the effective length of the arm 17 and therefore shortens the needle stroke. The parts are preferably so proportioned and positioned that after each adjustment is made the needle when at its lowest point will be above the under side of the plateand therefore out of coaction with the "shuttle or .,looperfwhile it is still not above the upper surface of the plate, so that the needle may serve 'as ir pivotrwhich the operator may turn the work about to change the direction of' the line of 'stitching Simultaneously with this raising of the needle the turning' of the crankin 29 to its highest position raises, throng the link 33, the presser 14 to the desired height from the work.

It will be seen that the withdrawal of the needle .from the work with the presser-foot makes it possible to stop the stitching and feeding loperations of the machine and change the position of the Work while the driving` mechanism continues in operation without any danger of tan'gling the thread, and the shortening of the needle stroke when thrown off permits the construction of the parts with the minimum projection of the needle slide below its guides, thereby reducing the lateral variation in the position of the needle which would be `caused by any given amount of play in the fitting of the parts.

As a convenient means for operating the needle-actuatimq` rocker-shaft D', `and for properly operati y the reciprocating shuttlc in proper timing with the needle, I have illustrated a Vdriving mechanism, hereinbefore designated in a general way by D,

which, in the form herein shown, comprises a driving-shaft 4l mounted'in bearings 42 and 43 formed on or secured :to the frame Work of the machine, which shaft 41 carries an eccentric 44 connecting through a rod 45 with an arm 46 of said needle-actuating "shaft D. Said primary driving-shaft 41 is Aalso shown provided with a cam which connectsrwith a roll on the short end 48 of a shuttle'actuating-lever 49, `said leverjbeing shown pivoted to the frame work of the thereof lbut out of operative4 relation with.

machine at 50.` Said primary driving-shaft is'also shown provided in Figs. l and 2 with a pair of cams or like devices designatedby il and 52,. respectively, from which a suitable feed mechanism not herein shown may be operated in connection with the shuttle land 'with the needle mechanism. i It will,

however, be understood that other suitable driving mechanism may be employed in connection lwith mypresent improvements in the machine hereinillustrated.

It will be seen that'when making one kind of movement, as at Figs, 3 and4, the needle copelrates withthe shuttle or looper, andl while making another kind of movement as at Figs. 5 and 6,A it .does not so Vcooperate, but descends 'only far enough to enable-'the Work to be swung or swiveled thereon, the needle strokes in the first in stance being long and in the second instance short, although my present improvements are not limited to a short stroke of the needle when it is thrown off; that the link 26, extends transversely` from the needle-link y 16 and vibratesthereviith during the stitching operation; thataJnger-piece 25, pivoted upon the frainimg,v is connected to the lever 24 and thefore-and-'aft link 26 so asy to effect therethrough` adjustmentsV of v the up-and-down link 16 relativelyto the .vi-

vbratory or cranlolike actuator 17 ,the connection between 26 and 16 being remotefrom the upper end of the'latter, that said finger piece is connected to said r link 26 through vthe bell crank or lever 24, means 35c beingl provided .for detaining said lever' 24 y in a''iplurality of positions; and `that'said `link 16 extends between the head of the needle slide and the vibrating armfl?. lt will alsobe -observed that a connection 33 is 4provided between the presser 1\2,-and the means which regulate the strokeor movevment of the needle, so that when the needle is thrown oli' the presser is likewise lifted,

said prcslserfbeing connected tlfirough saidA .link and the .Wrist 29 to the linger piece 35;

and that theconnection effected by said link is ota loose nature, so as to permit upward movement of 4the vpresser during the usual feeding of the work. independently of said wrist 29 and lever 24.,

Certain features herein described are set forth and claimed in my otner pending applications filedl simultaneously herewith and numbered 44,546 andv 624554:?.` Having described my inventlon, Iclaim- 1. ln a sewinglmachine, the combination,

with a presser' and a needle, ol a shifting or-throw-of device for simultaneously lifting the presser-and moving lthe needle said elements being so organlzed that in its lowest position after the;'throw-oliI operation the point of the needle reaches a point at or nea-r fa the bedfplate and below'the-top:surface the looper.

2. In a sewing machine embodying a looper, the combination withy a presser and a needle, of presser lifting device and needle-strokechanging device located and connected for lifting the presser and shortening vthe yneedle lstroke so that the needle does not co-perate with the looper; said elements being so organized Vthat when so prevented frommcoperation the stroke of the needle "may extend to the bed' plate so' as to 'enable the work tof swivel upon the needle.

3. The combination, with a pressen/of a needle, a rock arm constituting an actuator for said needle, of a slide-andlink'c0nnec tion between theiactuator and needle,gand a shiftingdevice joined to saidlink byapivoted .link and also adapted to `,move 'the presser.

et. The combination, with a presser, a needle and an actuator for 'said needle embodying a pivoted body providedwith ways,

of a vslide-and-link connection between'the actuator and needle, andayshifting device comprisingtwo crank portions Which,- are joined to said link'and to the presser by pivoted links. f A l 5. The combination with a presser, a needle and an actuating member for said needle embodying a pivoted member vpro-y vided with slideways, of a slide shiftable on said ways, a link connecting said slide and .needle, a pair of connected cranks. a link pivots of the latter working withiny the said f the combination, f

guidewayandhaving its ends incontact with thewalls thereof. y f

7 Inl a sewing machine having a guide-V way, the combination with a presser barreciprocatorily mounted in the guideway and rprovided with a slideway parallel with its path of reciprocation, of a needle bar mounted in the 'slideway, means` for reciproeating the' needle bar, means independent ot the reciprocating means Afor shifting the presserv bar in the guideway, and means rkof connection betweenwthe presser Y. shifting` means' and `the needle barv reciprocating llo' meansl :affectingthe needle bar rreciprocationsl upon the shifting ot' the presser:

'8. In a sewing-machine.'the combination. with a slide provided with a bore having a contracted opening at one end. of a needlebar having a-portion fitting the bore and a smaller yportion `pissing Vthrew-lr the C0111:

iso, f

tracted opening; an actuator for the needle bar; a pivotal connection between the actu ator and said bar, one of the pivots the latter having its pathof movement within the bore; and a presser-foot carried by the` slide.

9. In a sewingV machine, the combination with a 'needle bar, of a member to recipro` cate the needle bar vertically, a link between said needle har` and the said member, a

10. In n. `sewing machine, a stitch forming mechanism including a needle bar, .ofa crank member to reclprocate the needle bar a connection between said needle baran said crank'member and in engagement with i each of theage link engagmg said connec-4 l tion between tsipoints of engagement `with the needle bar and crank member, and a finger piece connected to' said link for effect ing ad1ustments of said connection.

11. In a' sewingmachine embodying a bed plate andta loo er below the bed plate, the combinatiomwitli a vibratin arm', a needle bar meuntedvcabo've the bed p ate for reciprocatory movement toward and from the bed `lateand looper,a link between theneedle ar and the vibratingarm, a Second link connected at one end to the first link andv extending longitudinally of the vibrating arniyand means for longitudinally shifting thesecond link for shifting the point of connection lor the first link withlthe vibrat ing .arm for varying the amplitude of the; excursions of the needle bar 'toward the bed plate. and looper.

12. In a sewing machine,fthe combination of a finger piece pivoted upon theframing;"-

a lever connected to said finger piece; a link connected at one endto said lever; .a link to which the other end of said iirst link is connected; a needle slide connected at the lower end of said second link; a member with which the upper end of saidsecond link is variably connectedhand a ldoper `mechanism.4 A'

13. In a sewing machine, thecombination same and a looper device of means for effecting dii'erent amplitude of reciprocation of the needle; the needle while making re-l cipi'ocations of one amplitude coperating with said looper, and while making reciproi l cations of another amplitude not coperating therewith but descending far enough to enable the work to be swung thereon; a presser; and a connection between said presser and themeans which regulate the stroke of the needle;

therefrom and ,vif

t, le. ln a sewing machine, the combinatiqn with-a needle device and a looper device of means for effecting long strokes and shdrt strokes of said needle device; the needle whenmaking long strokes coperating with said looper to forni stitches, but when mak- Iingshort strokes not 'coperating with said loopen but descending suiliciently to enable the work to be swung thereon; and a presser connected to the needle regulating means so as to be lifted from the work when the `needle mechanism is set for short strokes.`

15. In a sewing machine, the combination with locper mechanism and a needle bar et a crank constituting an actuator to recipro cate the needle bar; a link `between said needle bar and said actuator; a second link connected to the irstlink and extendinlgj;l

" transversely therefrom and vibrating there i with during the stitching operation; a lingerl piece connected to said second link so `as tsr effect therebyadjustments of the :first link'1 relatively to said actuator; and a presser Valso operatively connected to said finger piece.

'16. 'Ina-sewingmachine, the combination' with ,loopen mechanism and a needle barY of a crank constituting an actuator for the needle bar; and connection between said needle bar and said actuator; a link engaging said connectionbtween its ends; .and a finger piece connected to said link So as Vto effect thereby adjustments of said connection; said first link engaging 'at one end said actuator and at its other end said needle bar; a presser; 'and a link connecting said presser to said finger iece.

17. In a sewing macy ine, the combination witha needle bar, of .an actuatorcomprising a rock shaft, Aa link between said needle bar and said actuator, a lever, a second linkcon` necting said lever to said first link, a finger piecel for said lever, means or detaining said lever in anyone of Aa plurality of positions, a presser, and a connection between saidl presser and said lever for bringing the b ar for the presser respectively into inoperav tlve position.

18. In a sewing machine, the combination with looper mechanism and a. needle device .of an actuator; a link between said needle device and said actuator; a lever; a second link connecting said lever to said first link; with a needle bar, means to reclprocate the j a finger piece for said lever; means for dctaining said lever in apluralit)r ofpositions; a presser ;and a link loosely connecting said presser to said lever,- so as to permit the upward movement of the presser independd `coniriected to seid .stroke regulating so as to be elevatedior depressed thereby;

' and edetent foruholdingl the. etroke-regula .ing` ineens in veitheroi' two set positions.

20. In a. sewing machine; the combination' With looper 'mechanism of 1a, vibrating. arm

e' needle be1;;'.a,-'link between the head of said needle bar/end Vibrating arm; a Second link'fconne'cted et one endto said first link sind extendingllongitudinally ofsaid vibrating erin; means' for moving vsaid second link so as to render the needle either opera' tive or inoperative; and a presserconnected to said link-moving means so es to be either elevated or depressed thereby.

21. In a sewing machine, thecombinetion with vlooper .mechanism of e finger `piece pivoted upon the framing; a lever connected to said finger piece; a, link ,connected at one and to said lever; e link to which the otherr end of said rstlink is connected; a' needle slide connected at the lower.v end' of said' `second link; 'a 'ournaled arm withI which f1 said second link is adjustably connected; and a presser also connect-- the upper end o ed to said nger piece. v 22; `In a sewing machine, the combination -with looper lmechanism .ofeJ finger piece pivoted upon the framing; a `Wrist rigid with ysaid finger; aJN lever connected to said Wrist; a link connected at one end to said lever; a link to which the other end of said iii-st link is connected`a needle slide connected to the lower end of said second link; a crank with which the upper, end of seid second link is edju's'tably connected; aj 

